


Winter & Holiday ficlets

by Salope



Series: Friends with Benefits [9]
Category: RuPaul's Drag Race (US) RPF
Genre: F/F, FWB verse, Fluff, Lesbian AU, winter holidays
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:08:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28224405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salope/pseuds/Salope
Summary: I filled a few ficlet requests for the holidays over on my blog. I’m posting them here for everyone to enjoy. They jump around in time and a few contain a little dusting of plot.I’ll be adding to this as I go. If there’s something you’d like to see, hit me up in the comments here or over in my tumblr ask!
Relationships: Nicky Doll/Jaida Essence Hall
Series: Friends with Benefits [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1931647
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	1. ⛄️ Snowperson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place in Chicago in the present timeline.

“No peeking!” Jaida shouted as she looked up to see Nicky approaching.

“I’m not! Swear!” Nicky promised, stopping a few feet away, mittens raised.

“This was your idea, so no cheating,” Jaida warned.

“I would never!” Nicky protested in mock horror. _Mmm hmm_ Jaida muttered. “I just wanted to know if there were any carrots in the fridge,” Nicky asked. Jaida nodded and Nicky turned to walk into the house.

Jaida returned her focus to her snowperson. Two traditional round sections sat above two narrow mounds of snow splayed to either side. She had placed a black plastic coffee can lid so the mouth was open in a shout. Shaking the plastic shopping bag of supplies she’d secreted out of the house, two pom-poms fell to the ground. She knew she’d saved these dumb things for a reason. She quickly jammed them in either side of the snow torso as she heard the back door slam shut.

“I could only find baby carrots,” Nicky said, “but these are better.” Jaida watched as she crossed the yard to her creation and popped a carrot on. After stepping back to review her work, Nicky crouched down to fix something before announcing she was finished.

“Alright, you can come over then!” Jaida called. Nicky made her way to the other side of the yard, winding her scarf around tighter.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe you kept those!” Nicky squealed, taking in Jaida’s snow cheerleader, poms in hand while dropped in a split. “No,” Nicky considered, “actually I can. I’ve seen your basement.”

Jaida laughed, “I figured one of us should be able to do the splits while holding these things.” Nicky wrapped her arm around Jaida and gave her a squeeze.“Let’s see what you’ve been up to over there…” Jaida said, steering them across to Nicky’s creation.

Jaida was rather charmed to see that Nicky had made a very traditional snowperson—she had feared the worst. They wore an old wool beret of Jaida’s and a wide smile of black licorice. Then Jaida looked down to see two tiny snowballs and a baby carrot at the base.

“Nicky!” she shrieked swatting her on the shoulder as Nicky ducked out of the way laughing loudly, “There are children in this neighborhood!”

“Hey!” Nicky shouted back, “be glad you only had baby carrots! He’s cold anyway!”

Jaida reached down and scooped up the offending snow pile, carrot and all, and lobbed it at Nicky’s chest. Her aim was true and it exploded in a burst of snowy powder across Nicky’s face. The indignant scream had Jaida doubled over laughing, so she failed to notice the missile headed her way. Nicky’s aim being what it was, she needn’t have worried though. The wide miss had Nicky in a fury, so it was actually the impact of a down-swaddled French woman that felled her.

Laid flat out in the snow, Jaida grasped the flailing woman above her tightly. When Nicky realized resistance was futile, she went limp in defeat. Jaida chuckled as Nicky softly pounded the snow with her fist.

“Let’s get back inside and make some tea huh?” Jaida suggested. She felt Nicky nod her head. “If you’re a good girl, I might just have a carrot for you later…”

Nicky picked her head up to look at Jaida, eyes glittering mischievously and gave her a quick peck with cold lips. “Either way, I won,” she purred.


	2. ❄️ Snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place in Chicago in the present timeline

Jaida woke in the middle of the night, stretched and rolled over to find the other side of the bed empty. It was unusual for Nicky to be up in the middle of the night—she was a pretty deep sleeper. Jaida slid out of bed, shuffling her feet into her slippers and shivering. This first storm of the season had really dropped the temperature. She padded out into her living room and stopped, smiling to herself. Nicky was curled up asleep on the couch, her head resting on the arm, face turned to the front window where the flakes swirled like a giant snow globe in the light of the street lamp. Jaida grabbed the heavy afghan her granny had knitted from the armchair, and gently draped it over Nicky. She stood there for a moment watching her sleep in the cool winter light before placing a ghost of a kiss on the top of her head and heading back to bed.


	3. 🌱 Mistletoe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got 2 requests for this one!
> 
> I don’t know if Nicky would be familiar with this most obnoxious of holiday traditions but let’s assume she is. Also never let anything or anyone pressure you into giving a kiss you don’t want to!
> 
> Finally and IMPORTANTLY this one contains a smidge of plot. It takes place in SF at Nicky’s office holiday party the December after the events of Spirit Day.

Nicky swirled the punch around in her glass, wishing it was stronger. Office parties like this were not her favorite—the kind where she was expected to make small talk. She was already feeling a little off balance with Jaida here. She had invited Jaida of course, after Jaida had kindly offered, but she still felt awkward about it. They had only recently re-negotiated this relationship and it felt a bit like these heels she had on that she only rarely wore. She adored them, but they didn’t have the same familiar feel of the ones she usually wore when she dressed up at the office. 

She and Jaida, along with her friend Ricky and his partner John, had been hanging out near the buffet for the last half hour gossiping about everyone else at the party. 

“Do you think we can get the Aussie girl to sing that song about boomers again?” Ricky giggled. 

“Say what?” Jaida asked. 

“He’s talking about Courtney,” Nicky explained, “In Australia, apparently, Santa’s sled is pulled by kangaroos or ‘boomers’.” She made air quotes, nearly spilling her drink. Some combination of these things sent Jaida into a fit of giggles as well. 

Nicky backed away to set her cup down. The laugh-fest was only interrupted by the arrival of Jerry. Jerry was pointing emphatically above his head like he had disco fever. Nicky stared at him blankly. 

“Mistletoe!” he blurted out, gesturing above Nicky’s head. 

_Who the fucking fuck hangs mistletoe at an office party?_ Nicky thought angrily. Then she realized her options were kissing Jerry… or Jaida. Jaida who meant fully outing herself at work. Jaida who meant so many other deeply complicated things right now. She looked from Jerry back to Jaida, frozen with indecision. Jaida gave her the tiniest of smiles and tip of her head. 

Nicky held a hand out to Jaida and Jerry’s face fell. Jaida squeezed Nicky’s hand tightly and pulled her closer, pressing their lips together chastely. As they pulled apart, Nicky heard Ricky clapping very softly. 

Jaida touched her forehead to Nicky’s. “I know we’re still working this out,” Jaida whispered, “but I’m always there when you need me.” 

Nicky took a deep inhale and crushed her lips to Jaida’s again, taking the lead into a deeper kiss that felt like breathing freely.


	4. 🎁 Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to Gian E. Hall
> 
> This takes place in the current timeline, after Talisman.

_3 Weeks Before Christmas_

Nicky tugged hard, determined this time to free the box of lights from whatever the hell it was caught on. It didn't work. So she tried again, throwing her entire weight against it, only to have the side of the box rip and send her sprawling back into the pile of junk she'd climbed over to get there. Fortunately she landed on a large bag of soft things. She lay there for a minute, catching her breath and wiping dust from her forehead. Jaida had warned her about the basement. When Jaida's mother had left her the house, it came with the fully-stocked basement of a family who never got rid of a single thing that might be useful, or wanted some day. Jaida had simply gestured towards the northwest corner saying, " _Christmas is over there. Somewhere._ "

Nicky heaved herself back up from her prone position and turned to see what had broken her fall. It was a garbage bag, full of lumps and bumps (and she was pretty sure something that squeaked, although she was not going to dwell on that). She undid the tie around the top, curiosity getting the best of her. The first thing she saw was some bright purple fur, then a pair of plastic eyes and what looked like a unicorn horn. _Were these Jaida's childhood stuffed animals?_

Nicky pawed through the bag gleefully. When her hand touched something that had clearly been well-loved she pulled it free from the rest. It was a teddy bear, with a warm smile and wistful eyes. He wore a little t-shirt decorated with iron-on letters and hearts. It probably wasn't easy to find things with your name on them as a kid when your name wasn't Jenny or Jessica. Nicky set the bear aside and tied the bag closed. She still had holiday decorations to dig out. Maybe monsieur bear could help.

\----

_Christmas Eve_

Jaida turned off the last of the lights in the living room, leaving only the tree glowing softly in the corner. She flopped down on the couch, drink in hand, and sighed deeply. She loved her brother and his family but she also loved being able to come back to the solitude of her own home. It was a little quieter than she might have liked though, since Nicky had flown back to France for two weeks for an extended visit with her family. They had made sure to get in some quality time doing festive things like touring the neighborhood lights, baking cookies (that might have gone better if they hadn't been distracted) and trimming this tree. Nicky had been very annoyed with Jaida's haphazard approach to ornament placement. Jaida was concerned by Nicky's reckless disregard for ladder safety. They were still trying on this relationship thing for size, which was why Jaida was giving the box under the tree some serious side-eye. They had agreed they wouldn't exchange presents.

_"Promise you won't open this until Christmas Day?" Nicky pleaded. Jaida just shook her head and accepted the box, wrapped in silver paper with a gold and purple bow._

Jaida set down her drink and picked up her phone from where she'd tossed it on the cushion. It was 12:15 am. Bitch it was Christmas.

She got up and crossed the room, sitting down in front of the tree and picking up the box she'd been studiously ignoring for days. She wasn't going to get a wink of sleep anyway if she didn't open it. She tugged on the end of the bow and the knot slipped loose. Nicky had wrapped the box so that Jaida could simply lift off the lid without tearing the gorgeous paper (because of course she did). Setting it aside, Jaida pulled the tissue paper apart, her heart rate increasing as she went. Two faded plastic eyes peered up at her from their nest and Jaida did a double take. Reaching into the box, she pulled out the bear that she'd probably last seen two decades ago. She traced her fingers across the letters her mama had ironed on his little baseball tee that spelled out "My ♥ Belongs to Jaida."

"Bitch you're gonna make me cry on Christmas..." Jaida murmured. 

She held the bear tightly as she got up from the floor and returned to the sofa. Settling back down she picked up her phone and checked the time--it was still too early for Nicky to be awake. She snuggled the bear up under her chin and snapped a pic, sending it out across the ocean.

An hour later as Jaida slept, her phone chimed quietly and the screen lit up: _Mine does too_


End file.
